Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact of the apprenticeship levy on businesses in Northern Ireland.

Firms across the UK pay the Apprenticeship Levy on the same basis. Further details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pay-apprenticeship-levy.

Skills policy, including apprenticeships, is devolved, making it the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive.

As agreed at Spending Review 2021, the Northern Ireland Executive will receive £15 billion per year in funding which can be used in devolved areas, including supporting apprenticeships. These annual block grants are the largest, in real terms, of any spending review settlement since the devolution Acts in 1998.